Separable fastener.



G. SUNDBACK.

SEPARABLE FASTENER.

APPLICATION man JUNE 30,1913.

1 ,236,783. Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

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- ing the two members.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GIDEON SUNDBAGK, OF JERSEY CITY, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO HOOKLESS FASTENER COMPANY, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SEPARABLE FASTENER.

Speciicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1913. Serial No. 776,513.

To all Iwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GIDEON SUNDBAGK, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Jersey City, in the county of .Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separable Fasteners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in separable fasteners -of the type wherein two body members or stringere are locked and unlocked by a sliding cam device mounted on both members, the locking being eected by movement in one direction and unlocking by an opposite movement.

According to the present invention, one body member or Stringer is constructed in the forni of a j aw which is momentarily distorted and opened by a sliding operating device to release oi' insert the other member, which latter is guided by the sliding operating device into the jaw member by one movement and out of the jaw member by the other movement. thereby fastening and unfastenn A characteristic feature of the sliding operating device, as distinguished from prior devices, resides in the construction whereby the two body members are guided to cross each other in intersecting paths. thereby permitting the second member to be inserted in, and withdrawn from the jaw member or Stringer. A further feature of this invention and important practically resides in the elimination of nieta-.l parts entirely from one member, and almost completely from the other member, with increase in flexibility. and decrease in thickness and weight of the assembled fastener. A particular feature of the present device resides in the construction of the j aw member, whereby exibility is very largely enhanced by the employment of wire for the spring member instead of sheet metal heretofore proposed by me. By the wire construction, universal flexibility is secured not only laterally but longitudinally of the fastener, permitting one jaw to slide relatively to the other, which is very important in enabling itself. For garment fastening purposes especially, lightness and extreme flexibility' are very important and desirable.

The invention with respect to a preferred the fastener to be doubled onform thereof is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fastener embodying the invention;

b Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the jaw mem- 3 shows the cam operating device;

Fig. l is a side view seen from the left of Fig. 3;

Fig 5 is a side view seen from the right of Fig. 3;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are details of the parts of the j aw member; and f Fig. 9 is` a cross-section of the fastener in locked position on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

'1 represents a stringeror jaw member composed of tapes 2, 2 having sewed thereto cords 3, 3 forming beaded holding edges. It will be observed that this Stringer ]aw member is continuous. Contained within the space 4 formed by the tapes 2,2 are jaws 5,

Figs. 6 and 7 which are normally closed by 'wire springs 8. The jaws 5 consist of meeting flat faces 9, interior holding shoulders 10, clenching prongs 11 and interior flat bearing faces 12. The depressed portions resulting from the shoulders 10 are provided with slots 13, in which lie the straight portions 8 of the springs, the ends 14 of the springs being bent toward each other and embedded in the respective tapes 2. The parts are assembled by clenching the prongs 11 on the tapes 2 and cords 3, so that the springs and jaw members are held in fixed relation. The springs are bent as at 15, to shorten the width of the jaw member measured from the edge, but without interfering with the resiliency obtained by a long spring, and also the bent portions are enabled to closely over-lie and readily move on each other as the Stringer is bent in locking and unlocking. See Fig. 1. If the Stringer is laterally flexed or bent on itself, it will be seen that the flat faces 9 and 12 are free to slide on each other, because the wire springs 8 can bend in several directions, thus increasing the flexibility of the device as a whole.

17 represents the other body member having a corded edge 18. preferably composed of a cord sewed to each side of the tape, and also an interior beaded or corded guiding portion 19, the cords 18 and 19 being spaced s0 as-to receive the flat faces 9 of the jaws.

` The body members 1 and 17 are fastened by passing the member 17 into the space 4 formed in the jaw member, and thereby holding it against separation by reason of the shoulders 10 coperating with the corded edge 18.

In order to operate the fastener, means is provided for simultaneously opening the jaws 5 on the Stringer 1 ,while guiding the corded edge 18 of the stringer 17 in a direction transversely of the shoulders 10, so that when the jaw operatingl device is moved in one direction it will open tliejaws and simultaneously allow the beaded edge 18 to pass out, and when moved in the other direction it will spread the jaws5 and allow the beaded edge 18 to pass in. The former movement is accomplished by simply pulling the ends of the stringers 1 and 17 apart, which causes the sliding cam device to automatically travel down on the stringers and separate them as it travels, while the coupling of the two fasteners is accomplished by holding one end of both stringers and pulling the sliding device thereon, causing it to travelv in the opposite direction from that of opening and couple the two stringers. In order to accomplish this, a slider 20"is provided, see Figs. 3, 4 and 5, consisting of a double pointed wedge-shaped separating device 21v for opening the jaws, guiding surfaces 22 for receiving the ilat faces 9 of the jaws, and an intersecting guide passage 23 for receiving the edge 18; 24 being a slot to receive the body portion of Stringer 17, and being cut in to the guide passage 23. The external guide 22 and the internal guide 23 are suitably curved to produce easy operation, but in all cases intersect so as to permit the beaded stringer to pass in and out of the jaws while the jaws are opened by the separator 21. The cord 19 holds the tape Hat and prevents it from puckering inthe slider as it would without the tape. This cord 19 also acts as a guide when attaching the fastener so that the stitching will not come too close to the cord. The points 25, 26 of the separator are so shaped that they naturally follow into the space behind the shoulders 10 of the jaws, though external guiding means could also be used if desired. The slider 20 is made in two halves secured together by rivets, and is provided with a pulling ring 28 or other suitable grasping device.

From the foregoing description, it is thought that the construction and operation will be readily understood, it being understood that the lower ends of the stringers may be fastened permanently together in case the device is to be used for a placket or similar opening, or separably where it is to be used for a waist or other closure in which4 a complete separation of the two parts is desired. Assuming the fastener open, the slider will be pulled while holding the ends of the Stringer, thereby effecting an automatic progressive closure as the slider travels away from the end. An opening is automatically effected by moving the slider in a reverse direction, as by pulling the ends of the stringers apart. By the foregoing construction, it will be observed that no metal at all is employed for one Stringer and the amount of metal required for the other Stringer is limited to the jaws, most of which is covered by the tapes, except for the clamping prongs 11. The use of continuous beaded tapes permits .a large degree of lateral flexibility, in combination with the wire type of springs herein described permitting the jaws not only to spring toward and away from each other, but to slide one on the other. The tapes will, of course, be sewed together or otherwise fastened as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, to inclose the springs.

This application is in part a continuation of my application Serial No. 727,207, filed October 22, 1912, and the broad subjectmatter thereof is claimed herein, instead of in said earlier application.

Various modifications and changes in the specific form and construction of the various parts can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fastener comprising an elongated flexible jaw member, resilient means for closing said jaw member, a coperating flexible member adapted to be held in said jaw member, and a slider for progressively bend-v ing and opening said jaw member to engage and disengage said members.

2. A fastener comprising a continuous resilient, normally closed jaw -member, a second continuous-member adapted to be engaged'in said jaw member, and a slider sliding on both members having a wedge for opening said jaw member and an intersecting passage for said second member for engaging and disengaging said members when moved relatively thereto.

3. A fastener comprising a double edged fabric body carrying a succession of interior resilient jaw members, a second fabric member adapted to be locked between said jaw members, and means for progressively opening said jaw members and simultaneously guiding said second member in a path intersecting said jaw members to engage or disengage said members.

4. A fastener comprising a double edged fabric body carrying a succession of interior resilient jaw members, a second fabric member adapted to be locked between said jaw members, and means sliding on said members for progressively opening said jaw members and simultaneously guiding said second member in a path'intersecting said jaw members to engage or disengage said members.

5. A fastener comprising connected parallel fabric strips, resilient jaw members carried thereby for normally closing said strips, a second fabric strip having an enlargement adjacent its edge adapted to be held within said jaw members, and a slider mounted on said strip havi/ng means for progressively opening said jaw members and simultaneously guiding said second member transversely thereof to engage and disengage said members.

6. A fastener comprising a double fabric body member having separable edges, resilient means for closing said edges, a second body member having a thickened portion adapted to be held between said closed edges of said member, and means sliding on both members for opening said double member and guiding said second member into or out of said double member according to the direction of movement.

7. A fastener comprising a body member having separable beaded edges, resilient means for closing said edges, a second body member having a beaded edge adapted to be held between the closed edges of said first member, and means sliding on both members for opening said first member and guiding said second member into or out. of said first member according to the direction of movement.

8. A fastener comprising a body member having separable, beaded edges, spaced re- Isilient springs for closing said edges, a second body member having a beaded edge adapted to be held between the closed edges of said first member, and means sliding on both members for opening said first member and guiding said second member into or out of said first member according to its direction of movement.

9. A sliding operating device for a fastener having external guide surfaces and an expanding wedge parallel thereto forV one member of the fastener, and. an internal slotted guide surface for the other member of the fastener, said internal guide surface being transverse to and between said external guide surfaces and extending through said wedge member.`

10. A fastener comprising two stringers having means for interlocking them at the edges, and a sliding device mounted on both stringers for engaging and disengaging them, said sliding device comprising a wedge for guiding one member and a curved slotted guide intersecting said wedge for guiding the other member.

11. A fastener comprising a recessed jaw member having flexible tapes carrying a series of closure springs, a second member having a corded edge adapted to ass into said recess and be retained by sai springs,

and means sliding on said members for simultaneously guiding and operatingv said members.

12. In a fastener, a double fabric stringer carrying a plurality of inclosed spring jaws, said jaws having inturned holding members, a second Stringer` having a thickened edge adapted to be held within said jaws, and means sliding on said stringers for simulaneously guiding and operating said memers.

13. In a fastener, a jaw member comprising a double flexible body open on one edge, and resilient means comprising a contracting spring attached at each end to said flexible body for closing it along the open edge.

14. In a fastener, a jaw member comprising a double flexible body open on one edge, and a plurality of doubled contracting springs etween the double body and attached at each end to said flexible body for closing it along the open edge.

15. In a fastener, a jaw member comprising a double flexible body open on one edge, each edge being interiorly thickened, and a contracting spring within the body and attached at each end to the respective thickened portions of said flexible body for closing it along the open edge.

16. In a fastener, a jaw member comprising a double flexible body open on one edge, and a spring composed of flat holding pieces each attached -to one part of said body and connected by a contracting wire spring for holding said edges in contact.

17. In a fastener, a doubled fabric member having an open, beaded edge, a plurality of doubly bent springs within said fabric Ahaving their ends respectively attached to said beaded edges and holding them normally closed, the resilient portions of said springs bein of wire and being bent so that said springs partially overlap.

18. In a fastener, a sliding cam operating device comprising a double pointed wedge having a guide groove on each side adjacent the edge, an interior intersecting passage opening midway of said wedge, and a slot extending from said passage outwardly.

19. A fastener comprising a resilient jaw member, a second member formed of a tape adapted to be held in said jaw member, said tape having an enlarged edge which passes in the said jaw member and an enlargement or cord spacedfrom the edge to prevent puckering, and means carried by said members for distorting said jaw member and simultaneously guiding both of said members to engage and disengage them.

20. A fiat fastener comprising a hollow body member having separable beaded edges, resilient means for closing said edges, a second body member in the same plane, having a beaded edge adapted to be held between the closed edges of said first member,

and means Sliding internally on Sad hollow In testimony whereof I afx my sgnamember and externally on Suhl second memture, in presence of two Witnesses.

ber for opening said fust member and guid- GIDEON SUNDBACK. 'mg .said second member into or out of said Witnesses:

lirst member according to the direction of H. C. EGAN,

movement. G. N. KERR. 

